The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-10-18
THE BARD OF AVON.
Dedication OF the Mem oriaI Fountain
Erected by Geo. w. chiIds.
Henry irving Reads he Poem by Oil
YER Wendell Holmes.
Honnlly on international Friendship
by Minister Phelps.

LONDON, Oct. 1.-THE Shakespeare me-
moriai fountain, presented by George w.
Chlids OF philadelphia, 10 the town OF STRAIT
IoIu-on-AVon, was dedicated with imposing
ceremonies to-day
Henry Irving made the dedication speeeb.
The following poem, written for the occa-
was read ''
Welcome, thrice welcome is thy silvery CLEAN.
Thou long imprisoned streami
welcome the tnkle OF thy crystal beads
As plashing raindrops TO the hOwery meads
As summers breath 10 AvOn's whispering reedsl
night
Leap forth to life and light;
And greet with answering smile the mornings
beami
No purer lymph the whlte-imbed NaIad knows
- Than from thy chaliee hOws
Not the bright spring OF Afric'ssunny shores.
Starry with spangles washed from golden ores
Nor CLASSY stream Biandusia's fountain pours,
NOT wave translucent where Sdorina fair
Bralds her lOOse-hOwng hair
NOT the swift current. stainless as Il rose
Where chill Arvelron steals from Alpine SHOWS.
Here shah the traveller stay his weary feet
- To seek thy calm retreat.
Hereat high noon the brOwnaFmed reaper rest;
Here, When the shadows, lengthening from the
Can the mute song-blrd to his leafy nest.
Matron and maid shall chat the cares away
- That brO0ded DER the day,
Whlle hooking round them troops Of children
meet,
And All the arches ring with laughter sweet.
Here shall the steed, his patient life who spends
In toll that never ends.
hOt from his thirsty tramp DER hill and plain,
Plunge his red nOstrlls, while the tOrturing rein
Drops In loose loops beside his floating name;
Nor the poor brute that shares his masters lots-
Find his small needs forgot
Iruest Of humble, lOng-endurng friends
whose presence cheers, whose guardian care de-
Here lark and thrush and nightingale shan sip,
And strange INV wandsrers faI9 o9 THAR ,ustrou.
Fragrant from bowers that lent their sweet per-
Where Pastum's rose or Persia's lilac blooms:
Here from ms cloud the eagle stO0p 10 drink
At the full basins brink
And whet his beak against It's rounded LID,
HIS glossy feathers giistening as they drip.
Here shall the dreaming poet lnger long.
Far from his listening throng,-
& nor igte nor Sse his trembling band shall bring;
No faltering minstrel Sur lin his throat 10 singh
These followed echoes who shall dare TO claim
, whose tOuehleSs voice would shame,
"nose lahghng chords with Iarring notes would
The nympths that heard the Swan Of Avon's song9
What visions greet the pilgrims raptured eyesi
What ghosts made real rlsel
Inc If. dead retusn-they breathe,-they live again,
Fresh from the springs OF shakespeare's quicken
ing braln
The stream that slakes the s0ul's divlner thirst
He found thSrsuRbeams frst
Rich was his fame, not less shall memory prize
Inc gracious gift that humber want supplies.
Ger the wild waters reached the hand that gave
- To an this boun eous wave.
WIN health and strengthland joyous beauty
Blest be the generous pledge Of friendship,
brought
From the far home Of brothers love, unboughti
Long NAV fair AyOu'g fuuufafn flow anroIad
With st0ried shrlnes Of old
Castalis's spring. Egerla's dewy cave,
Anu horeb's rock the God OF Israel clavei
Land Of our Fathers, ocean makes us two,
But heart 20 heart Is truei
Proud Is your towering daughter In the West
hetsln Der burning lie blood reign contest
Her i, mothers pulses beating In her breast.
ms ho,y fountI whose rills from Heaven descend.
It's gracious drops shall Lend
Both foreheads bathed In that baptIsmal dew,
Ana love make one the old home and the newt
August 20, 1887.
Hail, Columbia" was sung after the poem
and cheers were given for Queen Victoria
and President Cleveland.
The day was observed a. a holiday aud the
whole town was en- fete. The procession
from the town hall to the fountain was led
BY the municipal authorizes.
Irving read the poem by Holmes with fine
enect. prefacing II by the remark that the
name OF the poet was beloved wherever the
English language Is spoken. After reading,
AANAh% with lis sptftn. ne Unl0
kindly tribute to Mr. Childs and then
dwelt at length upon the influence OF
Shakespeare through the theatre upon the
people In an age when reading was luxury
which few only enjoyed. lie paid a great
compliment 10 Americans, on account II
their appreciation Of SHAKESPEARE and piL
grlmages TO his tomb.
After the exercises, the guests and eorpO-
ration were given BANQUET In the town
hall, at which the Mayor presided. The
'simmDrfaI "a
posed by Theodore Martin and received In
reverend silence. Lord Delware gave THE
PRESIDENT, and Minister Phelps responded.
lie said that Il was always gratifying duty
20 reply 10 toast invariably hOnsred so
heartily by Englishmen. The kindness
which everywhere surrounded the path Of
ATeriea's representative was evidence II
the cordial friendship felt toward their
said regarding the value Of a continuance Of
friendly relations between the countries, he
cordially cOncurred. These relations were
not the property Of England and America
alone, but concerned the whole civilized
world. (Hear. hear) 1t would be
calamity too great 10 be anticipa-
ted II these relations should terminate.
Friendship between peoples depended far
less on the conduct Of their public men than
on the spirit which emanates from the people
themselves. (Hear, heard Diplomacy prob
ably got the credit for more than IL was
worth In the guidance Of these relations, and
had really very little place In creating the
existing friendship between the two great
branches Of the Anglo-Sax0n people. Ma
tiOns did not quarrel unless they desired TO
do so. When hostile prOvocatiOn was not
too far of to seek. diplomacy did not count
Tor much compared with knowledge and
appreciation Of each others spirit. Friendly
were much better maintained by
mutual justice and kindness than by attempt
Ing to obtain diplomatic promises that In
Justice and unkindness would not be- at
tempted. Such promises might be worthless
and were needless when mutual friendship
bound countries together.